Trim ends off zucchini and grate them either on the large holes of a
box grater or, if you have one, using the shredding blade of a food
processor. The latter is my favorite as I’m convinced it creates the
coarsest and most rope-like strands and frankly, I like my fritters to
look like mops.

In a large bowl, toss zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and set
aside for 10 minutes. Wring out the zucchini in one of the following
ways: pressing it against the holes of a colander with a wooden spoon to
extract the water, squeezing out small handfuls at a time, or wrapping
it up in a clean dishtowel or piece of cheese cloth and wringing away.
You’ll be shocked (I was!) by the amount of liquid you’ll lose, but this
is a good thing as it will save the fritters from sogginess.

Return deflated mass of zucchini shreds to bowl. Taste and if you
think it could benefit from more salt (most rinses down the drain), add a
little bit more; we found 1/4 teaspoon more just right. Stir in
scallions, egg and some freshly ground black pepper. In a tiny dish,
stir together flour and baking powder, then stir the mixture into the
zucchini batter.

In a large heavy skillet — cast iron is dreamy here — heat 2
tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Drop small
bunches of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet only a few at a time so
they don’t become crowded and lightly nudge them flatter with the back
of your spatula. Cook the fritters over moderately high heat until the
edges underneath are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. If you find this
happening too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Flip the fritters and
fry them on the other side until browned underneath again, about 2 to 3
minutes more. Drain briefly on paper towels then transfer to baking
sheet and then into the warm oven until needed. Repeat process, keeping
the pan well-oiled, with remaining batter. I like to make sure that the
fritters have at least 10 minutes in the oven to finish setting and
getting extra crisp.

For the topping, if using, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice,
zest, salt and garlic and adjust the flavors to your taste. Dollop on
each fritter before serving. These fritters are also delicious with a
poached or fried egg on top, trust me.

Do ahead: These fritters keep well, either chilled in the
fridge for the better part of a week and or frozen in a well-sealed
package for months. When you’re ready to use them, simply spread them
out on a tray in a 325 degree oven until they’re hot and crisp again.